Bengaluru, Sep 4 (IANS): National carrier Air India on Thursday launched its Mysuru-Bengaluru service by an ATR turboprop aircraft.

The service is available throughout the week save Wednesday, the national carrier said in a statement.

Karnataka Tourism Minister R.V.Deshpande, who flagged off the maiden flight at the Kempe Gowda international airport, said the service fulfils a long-standing need of passengers of Mysuru region, who can fly to many destinations across the country and overseas, with connecting flights from Bengaluru. Revenue Minister Sreenivas Prasad, Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee and other dignitaries were also present.

The aircraft will take off from here at 6 a.m., land at Mysuru by 6.40 a.m.. It will depart there 7 a.m. to reach here at 7.40 a.m.

The state's cultural capital, Mysuru, about 150 km from Bengaluru by road, is known the world over for its Dasara festival procession and tourist spots like Brindavan Garden, Butterfly Park, Ambi Vilas Palace and hilltop Chamundeshwari temple. It is also a gateway for adventure tourists going for river rafting at Dubare, to the elephant camp and coffee estates in Coorg, besides Bandipur and Nagarhole wildlife sanctuaries.